Cutter bar guard



Jan. 23, 1934. w. M. HENDERSON 1,944,644

CUTTER BAR GUARD Filed April. 10, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I WZZz'amr/MHQnJerJaI-z/ f1 Homey i 20 if Z Invenior Jan. 23, 1934. w. M. HENDERSONCUTTER BAR GUARD Filed April 10, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 flezad'er-svw Qgzwm flllorney Patented Jan. 23, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1Claim.

This invention relates to guards for cutter bar construction, such asare used upon mowing machines, harvesters, or like agriculturalinstruments; and in accordance with the present invention a guard ofthis character is provided hav- "ing improved means for securing inassembled relation the top section or cap of the guard and the ledgerplate on the body of the'guard in a. manner to provide aquickreplacement of the guard cap or ledger plate as may be required andwithout necessitating a removal of the guard from the cutter bar.

The invention together with its numerous objects and advantages will bebest understood from a study of the following description, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings,

wherein is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention. In thisconnection it is to be understood that the form of the invention hereinshown and described is intended only as exemplary and that it is in nowise intended to limit the invention beyond the requirements of theprior art and the scope of the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a cutter bar, showing aplurality of improved guards attached thereto.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of one of the guards.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of a guard with the cap or top sectionremoved.

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the guard.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 5-5 ofFigure 4.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 6-6 ofFigure 3.

Figure '7 is a plan view of the ledger plate.

Figure 8 is a side edge elevational view of the ledger plate.

Figure 9 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line99 of Figure 7.

Figure 10 is a side elevational view of the upper guard section or cap.

Figure 11 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the bolt equipped end ofthe upper guard section or cap.

Referring to the drawings by reference numerals it will be seen that 10designates generally a cutter bar of ordinary construction, to which isattached a plurality of guards or guard fingers embodying the featuresof the present invention and generally designated by the referencenumeral 11.

In accordance with the present invention each of the guards 11 includesa body 12 which in general is of conventional construction having theordinary point 13 formed thereon. The top portion of the body 12 is alsoprovided rearwardly of the point 13 with a recess 14, while at the '64under side thereof, the body 12 immediately rearwardly of the point 13is provided with a hollow or recess 15 for a purpose to be hereinaftermade manifest.

The body 12 of the guard has formed thereon n an upstanding transverseshoulder 16 which is provided with a cut out portion 1'7 formed in theside of the same facing the point 6. At the front end of the recess 14the body of the guard is formed with a notch or socket 18 and a bolt '70accommodating opening 19 extends through the body 12 from the bottom ofthe notch or socket 18 to the hollow or recess 15 at the under side ofthe body.

The cut out portion 1'7 provided in the shoulder .75 16 has its innerwall inclined for snugly fitting the inclined end 20 of a ledger plate21. At its forward end the ledger plate 21 is provided with a forwardlyextending tongue or projection that is adapted to be inserted in thesocket 18 as sug- 8O gested in Figure 3 and this tongue designated bythe reference numeral 22 has a bolt accommodating opening 23 providedtherein which opening 23 is substantially circular as shown. At the freeforward edge the tongue 22 has a s5 portion thereof removed to provide arestricted mouth for the opening 23 as suggested in Figure '7.

At the upper end of the socket 18 the body 12 of the guard is providedwith a seat 24 with which is engageable the forward end portion of a top'90 section or cap 25. The cap 25 when properly engaged with the sheet24 extends over the ledger plate 21 to accommodate therebetween thesickle bar or cutting knife as is apparent. At its said forward end thetop section or cap 25 has integral therewith a depending bolt 26 thatextends through the opening 23 and tongue 22 of the ledger plate 21, andalso extends as shown in Figure 5 through the opening 19 to terminatewithin the hollow or recess 15. At its free end .7100 the bolt isthreaded to accommodate a nut 27 that bears against a washer 28 arrangedon the bolt as shown in Figure 5. The shank of the bolt 26 has integraltherewith immediately adjacent the under face of the top section or cap(I05 25 a head 29 that fits within the socket 18 and is drawn againstthe top faceof the tongue 22 of the ledger plate when the nut 27 istightened to thereby aid in securing the tongue 22 within the socket ornotch 18 and such, together with 7110 the inter-engagement of theshoulder 16 with the rear end of the plate 21 will serve to secure theledger plate in rigid fixed position on the guard against casualdisplacement.

From the above it will also be seen that a removal of the guard cap orsection 25 can be readily aifected by loosening the nut 27 and that,when desired, the ledger plate 21 may be removed by loosening the nut27, raising the cap 25 upwardly a sufiicient distance to permitmanipulation of the ledger plate 21 for the purpose of removing thelatter.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

A guard finger of the class described ha'ving a body provided adjacentits pointed end with a socket, a seat at the upper end of the socketbelow the top of the pointed end of the guard finger, and a bolt openingextending through the body from the bottom of the socket to theunderside of said body; a ledger plate having an apertured tonguefitting within said socket, and a top or cap section having an endengaging said seat, a right angularly disposed bolt integral with saidend of said cap or top section and extending through the aperture insaid tongue and the bolt accommodating opening in said body, anenlargement integral with the bolt and the underside of said top or capsection fitting snugly within said socket and engaging said tongue ofthe ledger plate and a securing nut engaged with the free end of thebolt at the underside of th body of the guard finger.

WILLIAM M. HENDERSON.

